Education Program Specialist

Position Overview

The Education Program Specialist facilitates the coordination of the program schedule for the ACVIM annual conference, collaborating with subject matter experts (SME) and managing all speaker communications and deliverables to create an elevated member education experience. Logistical management includes, but is not limited to, acting as the primary liaison with all planning groups, conducting training sessions for speakers and providing support, and moderator management (recruitment and training), and management of the Research Abstract program. Technical expertise with planning software / systems that support our educational offerings, such as session submissions and speaker management system is required.

In addition, this position will coordinate with marketing on messaging, website content and speaker resources as well as facilitate quality control reviews for speaker deliverables. This role works collaboratively across teams to support, registration coordination, sponsor fulfillment and more. Initiative, strong organizational skills and adept attention to detail are essential requirements for this role. The Education Program Specialist will support additional organizational and other departmental needs as requested.

Essential Functions:

Manage the planning timeline and execution of educational programming for the ACVIM Forum, including speaker, session, and research abstract deliverables.

Serve as the primary liaison for volunteer planning groups, subcommittees, affiliated specialty groups, speakers, and other stakeholders involved in conference education programming.

Coordinate the Call for Sessions and Call for Research Abstracts processes, including system setup, testing, communications, deadlines, and ongoing program oversight.

Facilitate program review and selection processes, including managing submissions, approvals, rejections, and coordination with program leadership.

Maintain and oversee the conference program schedule, ensuring accuracy across websites, event materials, sponsor recognition, and related platforms.

Administer speaker management systems and databases, ensuring accurate session information, reporting, and tracking of speaker deliverables.

Manage speaker engagement for 400 presenters, including communications, contracts, deliverables, reimbursements, training, and post-event evaluations.

Collaborate with marketing and cross-functional teams to develop speaker resources, educational content, event messaging, and website materials.

Maintain educational program content across digital platforms, ensuring the accuracy of speaker, session, moderator, and conference information.

Provide exceptional customer service and support by responding to speaker inquiries and serving as a key resource throughout the planning cycle.

Support registration and event technology initiatives, including website setup, testing, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Analyze and communicate evaluation results from attendees and speakers to support continuous program improvement.

Coordinate moderator recruitment, training, scheduling, and resources for virtual and in-person educational sessions.

Provide onsite conference support, including oversight of speaker operations, research abstract presentations, and educational program execution.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 3-5 years experience in speaker management and conference planning, preferably in a professional society, membership organization or similar environment
• Work related experience in the veterinary or medical field beneficial
• Advanced level of experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and other applicable planning software systems.

Skills/Knowledge:

• Communication: Excellent interpersonal and written communications skills.
• Problem Solving: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Software Tools: Demonstrates the ability to effectively navigate, utilize, and adapt to digital tools that support organizational workflows, data management, communication, automation, and innovation.
• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously; familiarity using online project management tools.
• Education Program Management: Proficient in schedule coordination, speaker management, logistics oversight for events, and collaboration with planning groups
• Time Management: Ability to effectively prioritize, plan, and organize tasks to meet deadlines and achieve goals with efficiency and consistency.

Core Competencies:

• Ability to consistently model ACVIM's core values by demonstrating the following:
• Adaptability, continuous learning, and a growth mindset
• Reliability, accountability, and consistent follow-through
• Strong judgment, integrity, and the ability to build trust
• Collaborative working style with strong relationship-building skills
• Ability to empower others and work independently when needed

Other Job Details

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no staff supervision responsibilities.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

Full-time non-exempt position working 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday during general business hours with periodic schedule deviations to support business needs. Domestic (and potentially international) travel may be required (2-3 times per year), including one week, annually, for the ACVIM Forum.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit or remain stationary at a computer workstation for extended periods of time.
• Frequent use of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other standard office equipment.
• Occasional lifting and moving boxes or equipment weighing up to 30 pounds.

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.